Removable brake and guard for roller-skates.



A. R. RIEGER. REMOVABLE BRAKE AND GUARD FOR ROLLER SKATES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 24,.1908.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909 Witnesses:

Attorngys.

THE mmms PETERS co., wasmmmm, nsc.

Brakes and Guards for Roller-Skates;

AUGUST R. RIEGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REMOVABLE BRAKE AND GUARD FOR ROLLER-SKATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9,1909.

Application filed August 2%, 1908. Serial No. 450,022.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST R. Rrnenn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook, in the State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Removableand I do hereby declare that the following de scription of my saidinvention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings,forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to improvements in a combined brakeand safety guard for roller skates; and it consists, essentially, in thenovel and peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, ashereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out inthe claims.

The object of this present invention is the production of an effectivebrake and safety guard for roller skates, which can be instantly appliedto, and removed from, the skates, and which can be manufactured and soldindependently of the skates, it being applicable to skates of variousdesigns and sizes. To attain these objects I construct this brake andsafety guard as shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings in whichFigure 1 is a side-elevation of a roller skate fitted with my improvedguard and brake, one of the rear-wheels being removed to show details ofconstruction which would otherwise be invisible. Fig. 2 is a plan of thesame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guard and brake detached. Fig.4 is a plan of the blank from which the guard and brake-frame is formed.

Like parts are designated by corresponding symbols and characters ofreference in all the figures.

A in the drawings represents a roller skate of any of the variousdesigns and construction now in use.

B is the rear axle, and C, one of the rear wheels.

D is the foot-plate and E the rear buckles by means of which, and theusual straps, not shown, the skate is affixed to the persons foot-wear.

F is the brakeplate. It is formed from a sheet-metal blank shown in Fig.4, being a rectangular strip having on one end an ex cision 2, wherebytwo lugs 8, are produced, which lugs are curved at a, to a curvaturecorresponding with that of the axle-bearing 5, Fig. 1. On the oppositeend of this brakeplate, the plate is widened at 6 and there is in thisend a cleft 7, having inwardly projecting prongs 8, the transversedistance between the foot or base of the oppositely located prongscorresponding to the width of the footplate D. The plate F is bent uponitself at the rear-end along the parallel lines 9, 10, thereby makingthis portion of the plate slightly elastic or "springy so that when thisend is placed upon the axlebearing 5, it will be retained thereon by thecurved lugs 3 in a manner hereinafter to be referred to. This plate F isfurther, and downwardly bent along the dotted line 11, land upwardlyturned along the dotted line 12 so that when the plate is applied to theskate, as shown in Fig. 1, the portion of the plate between the dottedlines 11 and 12 is horizontal while the part of the plate forward of thedotted line 12 is inclined at an angle of approximately 30 degrees (moreor less) and the doubled-up portion of said plate downwardly inclined,all as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

Upon the doubled-up portion of the plate F there is placed a strip of anelastic orl exible material, 13, rubber being preferred, and this coverfor the doubled-up portion is retained in position by a bolt andthumb-nut, 14, passing through the apertures 15, in said plate and therubber or flexible covering 13.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the heel-portion 16 of thefoot-plate D is curved or pear-shaped, the portion 17 of said platebeing narrower than the heel-portion 16, and this wider portion of theheel-plate is engaged by the prongs 8 of the brake-plate to preventboth, a rearward, and a tilting, movement of the brake when applied tothe skate.

In order to apply this brake to the skate, the U-shaped or doubled-upportion of the brake-plate is placed upon the curved axlebearing 5 untilthe prongs 8 overlap the heelplate. The space 19 between the curved lugs3 and the portion 18 of the brake-plate (being that portion which iswithin the dotted lines 11 and 12) is wider than the outside diameter ofthe axle-bearing 5 so that in applying the brake-plate, a forwardmovement beyond the normal position of the brakeplate on the skate ispossible, whereby the prongs 8 may be caused to engage the heelplate. Ifnow the clamping bolt 14 is tightened, it will draw the parallel members20, 21, of said plate closer together and thereby pull the prongs 8 ontothe heel-plate and securely lock the brake plate to the axlebearin 5.

When in use, this brake is sufiiciently far away from the floor topermit of free movement of the skater and not interfere with his or herprogress, but as soon as it is desired to slacken up speed or stop, theskater slightly lifts the forward end of the skate when the brake willcome in contact with the floor and exert its retarding influence, at thesame time forming, or acting as, a guard to prevent the skater fromfalling backward,

The attachment heretofore described can be cheaply manufactured and whenapplied to skates forms an eflicient and effective brake and guard whichcan be quickly ap plied and removed from a skate and which is adaptedfor use in all kinds and sizes of roller skates.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure to me by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. As an improvedarticle of manufacture a roller skate brake and guard consisting,essentially, of a plate having on its forward end prongs adapted toengage the heel-plate of said skate, and having its rear end bent uponitself and terminating in curved prongs adapted to engage theaxle-bearing of said skate, an elastic-covering for said doubledupportion, and removably secured thereto, and a clamping bolt passingthrough said elastic covering and the parallel members of said plate 2.In a roller skate, the combination, with the heel-plate having a narrowor neck-portion 17, of an axle-bearing having a substantially circulartransverse section, and a brakeplate, said brake-plate being providedwith prongs adapted to engage said heel-plate at its narrower portion,and with curved prongs iaidfaipted to engage the axle bearing, as speci-3. In a roller skate, the combination, with the heel-plate having anarrow or neck-portion of an axle-bearing for the rear-axle of saidskate, and a brake, consisting of a plate, there beinginwardly-projecting prongs on said plate'at one end adapted to engagethe heel-plate at its narrower portion and a U- shaped clamping memberat the opposite end adapted to engage the axle bearing as described, andmeans for drawing the parallel members of U-shaped clamping portiontoward one another whereby the brake is secured to said heel-plate andthe axle-bearing.

4. In a brake and guard for roller skates, a brake-body consisting,essentially, of a plate having at its rear end rearwardly-projectinglugs and at its front end an excision affording inwardly-projectingprongs, said plate being formed into U-shape at its rear end to affordan elastic clamping member, and bent at its forward end as described,whereby said plate is adapted to be secured to the skate in the manneras, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntoset my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUG. It. RIEGER.

Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, A. G. PETERSON.

